This blog is a place for me to muse about things that interest me: political, theological, personal. It is a place for the written word. The title "Jackie Speaks" is a reference to God's grace in helping me overcome a severe speech impediment.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Agony and Ecstasy

Life is rich, full, and uncertain. When this year began I wrote about being committed to a year of writing; I have written almost nothing. I was diagnosed with cancer on February 25 followed by surgery on February 28. My third grandchild (Tegan Smith) was born on March 3 and I drove to Wheaton, Illinois on April 4 to meet her (one week after surgery). A tornado ripped through our place on Wednesday, April 27. Our beautiful trees were leveled, but we had little damage to the house. The barn roof had to be replaced. (I bought a new chain saw but still have dozens of trees that need removal.) Later in the spring we had torrential rains and our basement flooded. We also had 24 hours of record rainfall in early September and it flooded again. (Our plans are to have French drains installed soon.) In late July two of our professors accepted positions at another school and I was asked to pick up a couple of their classes. I am enjoying teaching Historical Theology with Sang-Ehil Han as it was my focus area in my doctoral program, but it is a new preparation. In short, my dreams for this year have been supplanted by the agony of the unexpected and the ecstasy of survival.

And, I forgot to mention the water line in our front yard ruptured and I replaced it last month.